Chief of Defence Staff of India General Bipin Rawat (File photo)
Highlights
- The chopper, with a total of 14 persons on board, took off from the Sulur air base near Coimbatore
- PM Modi, President, Defence Minister, world leaders have expressed their condolence
- IAF chopper Mi-17V5 crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu around 12.20 pm
In a shocking incident on Wednesday, India's first CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika, 11 others died in a IAF's chopper crash in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. PM Modi, President, Defence Minister, world leaders have expressed their condolence over the sad incident. Meanwhile, the IAF has ordered an inquiry to ascertain the cause of the chopper crash.
Here is a timeline of what happened to the IAF helicopter Mi-17V5
- IAF's Embraer aircraft carrying Rawat, his wife and other defence personnel takes off around 9 am from Palam airbase in Delhi for Sulur airbase near Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.
- Aircraft lands at Sulur airbase around 11.35 am.
- IAF's Mi17V5 chopper, with Rawat, his wife and 12 defence personnel onboard, departs from Sulur airbase around 11.45 am for Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.
- Helicopter crashes near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu around 12.20 pm.
- IAF confirms at 1.53 pm that its Mi17V5 chopper with Rawat onboard has crashed near Coonoor.
- IAF announces at 6.03 pm that Rawat, his wife and 11 other people onboard the chopper have died in the crash.
- It says one defence personnel, Group Captain Varun Singh, survived the crash with injuries and is being treated at the military hospital in Wellington.
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